Chapter 176: Skirmish

After capturing the demon, Dantalion, I headed to the guild with him.

There were already many people in the guild: the Elder, Witch Maiden, and Seonghwi.

And the most important role in the guild for handling miscellaneous tasks, the Electronic Witch.

‘Most of the guild members are strong in combat but weak in handling chores, so the importance of the Electronic Witch increases.’

It was a bit of an absurd situation.

In fact, although we were using the Electronic Witch for chores, the very idea of using her only for chores was nonsensical.

Soon, we would need to recruit more guild members.

I didn’t know anyone in accounting, but I’d have to rely on my connections somehow.

As we entered the guild, the Elder bowed respectfully.

“Heavenly Demon, who is this?”

“A newly accepted subordinate. He is the 71st-ranked demon who was messing around in the Demon Tower.”

“What, there’s another one like me?”

The succubus who escaped from the Tower of Dreams, Seonghwi, scrutinized Dantalion. Her captivating pink eyes glanced over him, making Dantalion flinch.

“You focused more on abilities other than physical ones? Well, demons are born with ‘Skills’ from the beginning.”

“‘Skills’?”

“The power they use is based on the so-called primordial will. Every demon is born with a unique power, and these powers can easily suppress most supernatural abilities.”

When the Witch Maiden expressed curiosity, I gave a suitable answer.

For someone like Pyogong, he died before he could do anything. He might have had the power to store beasts or magical creatures.

‘Is Dantalion’s power to recreate the moments when the user has the most negative emotions?’

The uncomfortable part was that I could only guess.

Most demons in the Demon Tower had already been killed by others, making it hard to gather information.

“Anyway, Seonghwi. Handle this guy well.”

“Why me? There are plenty of capable people around!”

“Do it.”

When I emphasized the order through the Tower of Dreams engraving, Seonghwi’s lips pouted.

“How far is allowed?”

“Don’t kill him, and make sure his limbs are intact.”

“…What did you do to him? Why is he reacting so sensitively?”

“Seonghwi. It’s the Heavenly Demon’s command. Obey quietly.”

“Yes, yes. By the way, your name is Dantalion, right?”

-Please, just spare me!

“I’ll spare you. But I might torment you to the point where you’d rather die.”

-Hi, hiik! Please, just my life…

“Yes, beg like that. What else can you do anyway?”

Seonghwi dragged Dantalion away.

I went to the office and started dealing with the urgent matters I had to handle.

Even though the Electronic Witch acted as my proxy, as the guild master, there were still some things I must personally handle.

‘The guild members don’t view things positively either.’

Seonghwi, who was no different from a slave due to the Tower of Dreams engraving, and the Elder who worshiped the Heavenly Demon, might not change their minds easily, but others were different.

In fact, the Elder and the Witch Maiden might view the Electronic Witch with suspicion. She was handling the tasks I should be doing.

I was about to open the guild master’s door and enter when I heard a voice.

“Seo-ha, watch over me. I’m guarding the Veritas Gale…”

“……”

I killed my presence and stepped out for a moment.

I’d come back in five minutes.

‘There’s really no one normal around.’

I needed to keep my mind straight.

I headed to the clearing that the Electronic Witch had designated.

The place where Black Heaven’s single strike had split the mountain. It was where I intended to practice my swordsmanship.

-For someone like you, a single real battle is better than persistent training. Most importantly, it allows you to utilize your talent.

‘But right now, I need to focus on the basics.’

-That’s right. Originally, you should have realized this much earlier, but ironically, your abilities were so outstanding that you’re only now getting proper training.

Black Heaven floated beside me, speaking.

-However, there are those who defied heaven with just the basics. They inscribed their names in the world and altered its laws. You might not know them, but the Sword Demon and Sword Master were such beings. The Sword Demon split half of Mount Hua, one of the Five Great Mountains, with a single swing, and the Sword Master annihilated fifty mid-level and ten high-level opponents in what could be described as an instant in this era.

‘Really?’

-It was nothing more than simple slashes and thrusts. But they imbued their swords with their will. They split the laws of the world with their willpower. That’s all there was to it. Their slashes could cut through anything, and their thrusts could penetrate anything.

‘Like the Sword Demon I met before.’

-Yes, that one was also a Sword Demon.

When I first used the Abyss.

I recalled the confrontation with the Sword Demon who had left scars all over my body.

-Reaching the highest level is difficult. Even for one thing. Most people who are considered geniuses spend their entire lives to see the end of one thing. Yet most of them never bloom fully, ending their lives as mere buds. In a way, you possess a power that all of them would envy.

‘That’s true.’

-But you can do too many things. So far, it has been helpful, but the transcendence stage is a bit different. Even transcendents cannot transcend multiple things at once. Even the Heavenly Demon couldn’t. However, your mental state has already created the Black Sea, Black Heaven, and Black Sun, so it’s a bit different.

Anyway. Black Heaven added.

-Now is the time to look back one by one. Fortunately, Yeongcheon and I have walked the path and realized it, so we will be of great help to you.

-Oh? I haven’t reached transcendence yet?

-…You were almost there. Anyway, let’s start by swinging the sword.

I took my stance.

Grasping Black Heaven and positioning myself for a draw.

Thanks to White Rouge, which increased power upon drawing the sword, I started with a drawing technique.

‘It’s subtle.’

However, I noticed a few discomforts.

The “Circle of Martial Arts (S),” which formed a circular area around me, immediately identified my weaknesses. And “Black Flame Martial Arts (S)” adjusted my stance to match the “Grandmaster’s Aptitude (S).”

‘All sorts of insights are coming to me.’

How to use my feet efficiently, what purpose I should have each time I swing my sword.

These insights kept coming to me.

-…This is absurd. The extraneous movements are disappearing.

-At this rate, you’ll be able to catch up to the Sword Demon with just your swordsmanship.

-It’s time to move to the next stage.

Black Heaven said so.

I refined my sword technique. Sharper. To fit my body. As I went through the process, my rank naturally increased.

[“Black Flame Martial Arts (S)” proficiency has increased. “Black Flame Martial Arts (S)” evolves to “Black Flame Divine Sword (S+).”]

-The next stage is the state of infusing the sword with “Nyeom.”

‘It’s “Nyeom” after all.’

Black Heaven’s single strike was peculiar.

She didn’t even emit a long sword aura, yet the mountain split in two. Such power existed in only two forms in this world.

The power created by transcendents, such as the Heart Sword or Intent, which twisted the laws.

-Once you infuse the sword with Intent, you can do many things. You can create a sword aura that can cut through concepts and twist the laws to cut everything within your sight. You can even create the destructive light of annihilation, which is a form of evolved sword aura.

Black Heaven’s words made me focus my mind.

“Nyeom.”

Twisting the laws with my will here.

Wooong!

[Eternal Existence (S+)] assisted with the detailed work. Intent amplified. My mind, which only created sword auras, now sharpened the sword with another force.

‘This is…’

Immediately, I felt as if something was blocking me. Instinctively, I knew this was the law set by the world. What I had to do was defy it.

‘Get lost.’

As soon as I made up my mind, the law disappeared. It felt as if it had been negated by something.

I infused the sword with Intent. The Will Soul amplified my Intent.

Intent was weak when alone, but it boasted exceptional abilities when combined with something else.

I slash (斬).

I imbued that meaning into the sword. Holding Black Heaven, I felt a different energy than usual.

-No, at once…

-Well, it’s because it’s Seo-ha.

Swoosh.

And the forest was cut down.

-This is ridiculous.

The boundary.

A sanctuary for demons created by a returnee.

Demons could not leave this place. The higher their rank, the more restrictions the boundary imposed on them. This was the end result of selling their world to alien beings and losing.

There were many people there.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

In the center was a table, and four beings were gathered around it.

The Seven Evils (七惡).

Great evils threatening the world. Each one was comparable to a transcendent in the human world.

-Is Vicious still struggling?

-Yes, and so is Brutal. For some reason, the wounds inflicted by Celestial are too severe. He dealt the most lethal blow to Brutal.

-Vicious underestimated the Overlord too much. I realized that when I fought him. He’s getting stronger. He might soon be able to lift and throw Jeju Island with pure strength alone.

The one who spoke lightly had also nearly died.

That was because he attempted to capture Vicious while conducting the Apostle summoning ritual.

Normally, he would have boasted loudly here, but the summoning ritual had failed.

The Apostle had retreated back to the world he came from.

-No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. The Apostle wouldn’t have retreated so easily.

-What, are you blaming me again?

-No, I’m pointing out something important. Even though the Apostle had just been summoned, he is still an Apostle of a god. There’s only one person I can think of who could send him back.

-The Sword Saint.

-Yes, only him. But if he had been there, that guy wouldn’t have returned alive.

Mad Evil (狂惡) spoke calmly.

-Do you know anything about the new high-rank who appeared recently?

-What good would it do us to know about a high-rank?

-I checked. The lower ranks are reacting strangely.

Sage Evil (晟惡) said with a smile.

-Even the title is unusual. It reminds me of someone. The man who cultivated the barren land when the worlds overlapped.

-…What’s the title?

-The Savior.

-…What?

-It’s a grand title, not one that a mere high-rank should receive. He must be interfering with the great evils we’ve set in motion.

-Alright. If that’s the case, then we can assume the severity of the situation.

Mad Evil picked up a chess piece and placed it on the board.

-First, find out about the Savior. He will become our main enemy.